Hawaii lawmakers criticize Sessions' island judge remarks

by AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press

In this April 18, 2017 file photo Attorney General Jeff Sessions prepares to speak before a meeting of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Council and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Committee to discuss implementation of the President's Executive Order 13773, at the Department of Justice in Washington. Hawaii's Democratic lawmakers are criticizing Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he expressed amazement on a radio show that a "judge sitting on an island in the Pacific" could stop the president's travel ban. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono on Thursday tried to give Sessions a civics lesson on Twitter, saying Hawaii has been a U.S. state for 58 years. (AP file Photo/Alex Brandon)

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's Democratic lawmakers on Thursday criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he expressed amazement on a radio show that a "judge sitting on an island in the Pacific" could stop the president's travel ban.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono responded by trying to give Sessions a civics lesson on Twitter, saying Hawaii has been a U.S. state for 58 years.

The senator said later in a telephone interview the remarks showed a lack of awareness about the separation of powers between the judiciary and executive branches.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson last month blocked President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries and temporarily halting the U.S. refugee program. The Trump Administration appealed the ruling.

Sessions told the "Mark Levin Show" he's confident the president will prevail with his administration's appeal of Watson's travel ban ruling.

"I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power," Sessions said.

Hirono also said Sessions' remarks suggested he is prejudiced against Hawaii.

"Why isn't a federal judge from Hawaii as able as any other judge from anywhere to issue rulings?" Hirono asked.

Both Hirono and Sen. Brian Schatz emphasized that Sessions voted as a senator to confirm Watson as a judge.

Schatz chided Sessions more on Twitter by telling him the island where Watson made the ruling is named Oahu.

"It's my home. Have some respect," he said.

U.S. Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in an email that Sessions was questioning one judge's ability to block the president's executive order for the travel ban.

"Hawaii is, in fact, an island in the Pacific — a beautiful one where the Attorney General's granddaughter was born," Prior said. "The point, however, is that there is a problem when a flawed opinion by a single judge can block the President's lawful exercise of authority to keep the entire country safe."

Douglas Chin, Hawaii's attorney general, said in a statement it was disappointing Sessions doesn't acknowledge that the federal courts are "co-equal partners with Congress and the president."

A clerk for the U.S. District Court in Hawaii said Watson declined to comment.